"One Kiss" is a song by Scottish record producer Calvin Harris and English singer Dua Lipa. Written by Lipa, Jessie Reyez and its producer Harris, it was released by Columbia Records and Sony Music on 6 April 2018. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart on 20 April 2018, a week after debuting at number three. The song would eventually top the charts for eight consecutive weeks and eventually became the biggest selling song of 2018 in the UK. It also became the longest-running number one by a lead female artist in the UK this decade, and the second longest-running number one of the century by a female artist behind only Rihanna's "Umbrella". "One Kiss" was included on the complete edition of Lipa’s eponymous debut studio album. The song went on to win Best British Single at the 2019 Brit Awards.

Background and release

On 21 March 2018, Harris changed his Twitter header image to one that features a QR code in the centre. When scanned, it reads "Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa – One Kiss".[1][2][3] He also wrote on Instagram that there would be "a new single in about 2 weeks".[4] On 2 April, both artists announced the song with identical social media posts,[5][6] revealing the blue cover art and release date.[7][8][9] A lyric video was released alongside the single, featuring VHS-quality footage of two couples being played on a vintage television in an outdoor setting.[10]

On Kent Small's radio show on the Australian radio station Nova 96.9, Lipa explained to that Harris contacted her while she was in Jamaica to ask if she wanted to work together on a track. She agreed and later met Harris at his house in Los Angeles, and they recorded "One Kiss" at the latter's God's Eyes Studios.[11]

The song is performed in A Phrygian with a tempo of 124 beats per minute in common time. It follows a chord progression of Am–B♭maj7–Fmaj7–Gm9, and Lipa's vocals span an octave, from G3 to G4.[15]

Critical reception

Hugh McIntyre, a contributor for Forbes.com, pointed out that the song "plays like an homage to '90s house music", writing that the uncredited vocals on the chorus "steals the show from the verses which feature Lipa's now-recognizable vocals". He concluded by deeming the song "a natural progression from Harris' last single".[16] Mike Wass of Idolator regarded it as "[Harris'] most accessible and instantly catchy track since 'This Is What You Came For' in 2016", writing that it is "guaranteed to be massive".[14] Lauren O'Neill of Noisey opined that the song "conjure up its summery vibe" despite its inability to "reach the quietly euphoric heights of a number of the moments from Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1".[17] Ross McNeilage of MTV UK wrote that the song marks a "return to more familiar territory", calling it "a pulsating house track that is undoubtedly going to become the soundtrack to our summer" and "the year's first bona fide sunshine banger". He also found it "a lot more uplifting" than Lipa's previous dance collaboration with Martin Garrix, "Scared to Be Lonely".[18]

Music video

The accompanying music video, directed by Emil Nava,[19] premiered exclusively on Apple Music on 1 May 2018, and then on YouTube a day later.[20] The video features Lipa dancing in front of a number of bright and tropical backdrops. It has been described as "trippy" due to its visible green-screen effects, fancy visuals, and retro costume choice.[19] Harris also makes an appearance as a waiter in the video.[20] Its official music video also received nominations for Best Dance and Song of Summer at the MTV Video Music Awards 2018.[21]

Chart performance

In the United Kingdom, "One Kiss" debuted at number three during the week of 19 April 2018.[22] The following week, it dethroned Drake's "Nice for What" from the top spot on the UK Singles Chart,[23] holding the position for eight consecutive weeks until it was dethroned by "I'll Be There" by Jess Glynne on the issue dated 21 June 2018.[24] "One Kiss" became Harris' ninth and Lipa's second number one single on the chart, and becoming both's longest-running number-one single.

In the United States, "One Kiss" became Lipa's second and Harris' fourteenth top 40 hit,[25] while reaching number nine on the Mainstream Top 40.

^"Media Forest – Weekly Charts. Media Forest. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018. Note: Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart.

^"Media Forest – Weekly Charts. Media Forest. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018. Note: Select 'Songs – TV'. Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart.